Spiritual sounds

Miami Beach resident Aaron Holder has made a name for himself in the Jewish community with his music for a few years. Now, he has his own debut album.

Holder, 24, said his recently released album "Something Stronger" expands the boundaries between Jewish and mainstream music by using elements of folk, pop, country, rock and a hint of reggae laced with a deeply spiritual vibe. His musical influences for the album include Mumford & Sons, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Matisyahu, One Republic, Josh Groban, Bruce Springsteen and Shlomo Carlebach.

Holder has performed songs for the Jewish community and even competed in the singing competition "A Jewish Star." He feels the album is a culmination of his musical growth.

"It's very surreal because I was 18 when I first picked up a guitar and started writing songs and it was my dream to be able to just play for people," he said. "I feel blessed to have the album out because not many people are able to achieve this."

Holder has overcome challenges of his own after being bullied throughout his youth and set apart from his peers for being different. The album is the canvas for his own experiences and struggles. The positive outlook instilled in him by teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, gave him the strength to remain true to himself and use his uniqueness to create the album, which is also inspired by his Jewish upbringing.

"I was raised as an Orthodox Jew and the teachings of the Torah helped me get through regular everyday struggles that people go through all the time and it allowed me to overcome them emotionally as well as physically," he said.

Holder uses a diverse set of styles for this album.

"Everyone has their own interpretation of what each song means and I think it's awesome that people can hear so many sounds in just one song," he said. "I just want people to be inspired by this album and hopefully take something positive from it and to be able to connect it to their lives and how they go about handling situations."

"Aaron is unique in that his songs and music have an underlying feeling in them," he said. "You feel his thoughts and emotions in the words and in the way he sings his songs. He also has a few different styles that make listening to him a very interesting experience."